WIAA NewsRoom

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-04-24) The Boardman River is one of Michigan's most popular fishing spots. But the watershed has for decades been shaped by the presence of three aging dams. Now Traverse City and Grand Traverse County have decided to remove the dams. One of the big debates will be over what kind of fish should live in it. Also on the show today, we'll revisit last week's discussion about problems with Michigan's child protection system. The head of a family services agency will answer the critics.

Parents' Rights

(2009-04-17) The right to parent your children does not evaporate because you were less than a model parent. And if the state dismantles a family, it needs to use a fair process. That was the reasoning of the highest court in the U.S. more than 25 years ago. But recently Michigan Supreme Court justices decided trial courts and social workers in needed a refresher and provided one in a case out of Mason County.

Student Veteran

(2009-04-03) One question war veterans don't appreciate is hey did you ever kill anybody? Derek Blumke says he's heard of worse things said on college campuses. Blumke grew up near Petoskey and served six years active duty as an airman in Iraq. He says the transition to civilian life and college was difficult. So he founded a national organization to do something about it, Student Veterans of America.

Food Safety

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-03-27) Michigan Agriculture Commissioner Don Coe says food safety issues pose a serious threat to the region's local food movement. He says more regulation of farms is coming and local growers might as well be part of making them work. But not everyone thinks the government can make food safer, given its recent failure to keep tabs on the peanut processer in Georgia that caused a deadly outbreak of salmonella. And they say burden falls unfairly on small farms.

Government Transparency

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-03-20) It's sunshine week and on Points North we'll hear about recent court decisions in Michigan concerning open government. Also does your township or city post financial information online? What about your school district? Why not? We'll hear about the Mackinac Center's transparency project.

Carbon Footprint

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-03-13) Carbon footprint is a way to measure how much energy is being used and how much is being wasted. A few companies are taking the lead to reduce their footprints because they see it as being environmentally responsible and saving costs. Both Traverse City and Grand Traverse County are figuring out ways to use energy resources more wisely. That may mean replacing streetlamps with more energy efficient types or doing more recycling.

High School Dropouts

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-03-06) Michigan's House of Representatives has approved a bill that would raise the high school drop age to 18 in Michigan. Everyone agrees it's a bad idea to drop out of High School. But is forcing 16 and 17 year-olds to attend school the solution? The Michigan Education Association held a series of public meetings around the state last fall about the drop out rate. Not one person suggested raising the legal age as a solution.

Farming

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-02-27) The Grand Vision says keep farming alive and well in the Grand Traverse region. In recent years, farms up north have become more profitable by selling more directly to neighbors and local businesses. But how much farmland can the local economy support? That's our conversation this week on Points North.

State Budget

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-02-20) All over Michigan, agencies that depend on public funding and services are bracing for the state's budget crisis to come home. Where will the sharpest pain be felt? Schools? Community Health? Natural Resources? To what extent should the state use federal stimulus money to blunt the hit for a year or two? That's our conversation this week on Points North.

News Industry

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-02-06) It's been wondered out loud, "Which is the bigger story in Michigan right now - the auto industry, or the newspaper industry? Of course, it was a journalist who asked the question But advertising revenue is drying up, and fewer and fewer reporters are left in Lansing to watch over the crisis that is state government. The business of news, and why some Northern Michigan publishers remain optimistic about the long-term health of their industry.

The Cost of Justice in Michigan

(2009-01-30) Michigan is facing a financial nightmare and many people believe we could save a lot of money by reforming our corrections system. But a much-anticipated report on reducing the cost Michigan's prison system showed lawmakers how to save just 50 million dollars a year over the next few years. And, ironically, the report suggests spending more money on law enforcement.It notes violent criminals in Michigan are much less likely to be caught than in other places.

Sutherland Brothers

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-01-23) What do the Epicurean Classic, Cherry Republic and FIM group all have in common? The last name Sutherland. Dale and Mary Sutherland raised six children in Glen Arbor. They all stuck around and today are among the most entrepreneurial citizens of the Grand Traverse Region. This week on Points North we'll talk with (some of) the Sutherland brothers.

Online Classroom

Interlochen Public Radio (2009-01-16) Michigan has more high school students taking online classes than almost every other state in the U.S. But how much is it changing education? Are we ushering in new models of teaching and learning? Or are we just enhancing the current system and solving scheduling problems? That's our discussion this week on Points North.